Xarrama Voices
A Living Archive of Storytelling and Sharing: For the river that runs through us
Organization: Foundation DaST + Convento da Terra
Cientific Coordination: Maria Ilhéu e Carlos Bragança Santos
Moderation: Maria Ilhéu
Academic Partnership: Universidade de Évora | MED (Instituto Mediterrâneo para a Agricultura, Ambiente e Desenvolvimento
Some rivers flow beside us. And some flow within us. The Xarrama is both.
On 24 October and 21 November 2025, a small group of residents from Torrão was invited to gather at Convento da Terra to share memories, emotions, stories and gestures connected to the Xarrama River — a line of water that flows alongside the village, has shaped its gestures, nourished its banks, and today calls us to take responsibility for protecting what was once abundant.
These were more than moments of conversation. They marked the beginning of a living archive, composed of voices, perspectives and lived experiences, where every memory becomes an act of care.
These gatherings, promoted by Foundation DaST in partnership with the University of Évora, through Convento da Terra, and carried out within the framework of the Xarrama Vivo movement for the protection and regeneration of the Xarrama River, are part of an ongoing commitment to study, listen to, and value the natural and cultural ecosystems that shape our territory of action.
The Xarrama is a silent witness to generations. It runs through the history of the village and the lives of its people. It is a source, a boundary and a mirror. Often invisible to the urban eye, its water remains essential to those who work the land, who observe, who live alongside it.
To protect a river is to protect an entire way of life. It means caring for the landscape, the biodiversity, the agricultural rhythms, the relationships and ancestral knowledge that flow with water. It means ensuring that life keeps moving, even when the current slows.
Foundation DaST is building, with the support of universities, national institutions and the local community, a growing body of knowledge and action dedicated to preserving the Xarrama River. This includes formal protocols, environmental research, mapping, and most importantly, listening to those who live with the river.
